Operation Smile Coordinator Interview Questions
& Process

The Program Coordinator interview process is pretty long and honestly, a bit much. I applied back in March, then had my phone and Skype interviews in early April. After that, I finally got invited for the in-person interviews in mid-May. They had about 5-7 openings and invited around 18 people to the in-person part. We were there at Operation Smile from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, and then they asked us to plan a dinner for the staff. I'm not really sure what the staff is looking for with this – it feels like a mind game, and not exactly 'fun' like they said it would be.

I went through 3 interviews: first, a phone chat with the hiring manager, then an in-person meeting with my direct manager, and finally, another in-person meeting with two people who are above my direct manager.

So the interview process for program coordinators is pretty wild. First, there's an initial screening, then a phone interview. If you make it past that, you're invited for in-person interviews - you gotta pay for your own travel and lodging though. Usually, there's like 20 other candidates there on the same day. The first part of the day is like 5 or 6 panel interviews with different staff, like the director, founders, regional staff, and current coordinators - so more than 20 people total. While you're waiting, some staff hang out and watch how everyone interacts, so don't say anything weird or hide in a corner! They give you a free lunch and you can chat with the staff and other candidates. Then, around 4pm, there's a 'surprise' activity: you have to help prepare dinner at the cofounders' house and entertain them. This is like phase two of the interview, and they're looking out for anyone who seems tired, doesn't work well with others, or has a bad attitude. There's an optional hang-out at a bar later, but it's not required. If you pass the main interviews and the social test, you're hired! They usually hire about 5-8 people.